A Different Kind of Battleground
by jikanet-tanaka
Summary: Little Rian's first visit to the Castle of the Crystal, or a display in how the Skeksis actually managed to hold power for almost a millenium. (Hint: skekSil is a filthy lying bin chicken.)


It was Rian's first time at the Castle of the Crystal.

The journey from Stone-in-the-Wood had taken a day at most, but to him it seemed as if it had lasted forever. Father had remained quiet for most of the trip, leaving Rian alone to ponder dark thoughts over the hours. For the last few months, he had been shuffled from relative from relative while his father worked at the castle. After a while, some people in the village had—_gently_—reminded Ordon that he had a duty to his son as well. To Rian's great horror, his father's solution had not been to take a leave from his job, but to pluck his son from everything and everyone he had ever known and bring him into the unknown.

His father's silence throughout the journey had also stung more than Rian wanted to admit. Did he want to spend so little time with his son? Was it more important being the captain of the Castle Guard than being Rian's father? Everyone told him Ordon devoted himself to his duty to deal with his grief, but still…

At least, Rian would now have the opportunity to finally see what the Castle looked like. When he'd first caught sight of it, a dark, ugly smear in the middle of beautiful, rolling fields of green, he hadn't been very impressed. As their carriage had drawn nearer, however, Rian had been struck dumb by the sheer scope of it. The black spires seemed to stretch into the blue sky, reaching dizzying heights.

The inside was awe-striking as well. The hallways were so large you could probably fit a whole pillbug in there and still have enough place for a whole procession of Gelfling. Meanwhile, the doors stood taller than the ceiling of Rian's home back in Stone-in-the-Wood. The place had an eerie beauty about it too; everything was made of a dark crystal-like substance that Rian had never seen before. How had they made an entire castle out of the stuff? Who had ever built it in the first place?

"You'll stay in the barrack while I'm on duty," Ordon told Rian. "Do not move from there. The guards who are on break will watch over you while I'm gone."

"Yes, Father," Rian said absently. He was still engrossed by the bizarre architecture of the Castle. Why was everything so big in scale, he wondered?

Rian soon had his answer.

Two tall, dark shapes had turned the corner across from them. Rian's heart skipped a beat as he laid eyes on them. He had never seen those creatures before, but he knew what they were. All Gelfling children would recognize one of these beings on sight.

Skeksis. Lords of the Crystal. Lord of _all_ Thra.

Rian found himself hiding behind his father as the two Lords lumbered toward them. By Thra, they were big—bigger than Rian had ever imagined! Even Father looked tiny in comparison!

The tallest and largest of the two Skeksis wore dark clothes and armour. At the sight of Rian, he turned up his beak, and his tail whipped back and forth on the floor, in what Rian supposed was a show of annoyance. The other Skeksis was clad in red; his robes seemed too bulky for his frame, almost as if he wanted to make himself look bigger than he truly was. His beaked snout was longer, with a shape that made him look like he was perpetually smiling.

"What is the meaning of this?" the armour-wearing Skeksis barked at Rian's father. "What is a Gelfling brat doing here?"

Rian bristled. _Brat?!_ For a moment, he itched to give that jerk a piece of his mind! Still, he kept his mouth shut, only giving the Skeksis the biggest glare he could muster.

"Ah, General, do not raise your voice!" the other Lord said. Rian blinked. The Skeksis spoke in a whiny, high-pitched manner—it wasn't the kind of voice you'd expect to come from something so large and, well, so _freakish_ looking. "You will scare poor childling!"

"So?" the Skeksis General replied. "I won't accept such a lack of professionalism from my soldiers. The captain should know better!"

Ordon bowed his head low. "I'm sorry, my Lords. Ever since my wife has joined Thra, I've found myself—"

Rian's hands tightened into fists. _Joined Thra?_ Those were the words Father used to describe what had happened to Mother? Toward the end, she'd been so delirious in her fever she had not even recognized him! His eyes filled with angry tears, and he fought to will them away before they could stream down his cheeks.

"That's no excuse, soldier," the General said. "You should—"

"Oh, do forgive the General's grumpiness, do forgive," said the Skeksis clad in red. "This must be first visit to the Castle of the Crystal for young Gelfling. Big occasion, yes? Many strange sights to take in!"

It took Rian a while to understand that the Skeksis was speaking to him. "Uh, yeah. It's… it's a lot."

"Enjoying visit so far, hmm?"

"Uh…" Rian glanced up at his father. Ordon was taut as a bowstring, and he did not return Rian's gaze. "I guess so."

"How wondrous!" The Skeksis showed his pointy teeth in a strange expression; it took Rian several seconds to understand he was _smiling_. "What should we call you, hmm?"

"My Lords—" Ordon began.

"My name's Rian," Rian answered at the same time. He looked at his father, frowning. Why was Ordon so tense?

"I am the Chamberlain," the Skeksis said, as if that was supposed to mean anything. As Rian only continued to stare, brows furrowed, he added, "Am administrator. Chamberlain runs castle to make sure everything is as Emperor wishes."

"Sounds boring," Rian muttered under his breath. Blood rushed to his cheeks as the Skeksis chuckled in response. He hadn't meant for the Lord to hear that!

"Not everyone can be brave soldiers like Captain Ordon!" said the Skeksis. "In fact, Skeksis rely on castle guards for protection. Skeksis maintain Crystal with rituals, and in return Gelfling soldiers protect Skeksis from enemies that would take Crystal for themselves. A favour for a favour, hmm? A simple, efficient solution. Just as Chamberlain likes it!"

Rian looked up at the Lord. He was so tall he nearly had to crane his neck. The teeth that protruded from the Skeksis' beak were jagged like the fangs of a predator, and his claws seemed sharp as razors. Rian shuddered; what kind of enemies could _these_ things have? He dared not imagine…

"But why are Skeksis the ones who have to protect the Crystal?" he instead asked. "Can't Gelfling do it too?"

"Why, you impertinent—" the Skeksis General began in a snarl.

The Chamberlain raised a skeletally thin hand to stop his companion. "Dear General, why not run along? Emperor is not patient, as you are so fond of reminding me. Chamberlain will join you afterwards. Scoot, scoot!"

The Skeksis General huffed, but he did as the red-clad Skeksis asked. Rian would never admit it in a thousand trines, but he was glad to see him go.

"Tell me, young Rian," said the Chamberlain. "How old are you?"

"I'm eight," Rian replied. He wasn't a baby, he wanted to add, but something told him the Skeksis wouldn't have believed him anyway. Instead, he only asked, "How old are _you?_"

"_Rian!_" Ordon hissed.

The Skeksis only laughed. "Oh, older than Rian can imagine! When your grandfather's grandfather was small childing, Chamberlain was already old!"

"Well, that I can believe," Rian said, quirking an eyebrow.

This earned him a light swat behind the head from his father. "Rian, don't speak to the Lord that way!" Ordon admonished.

Rian nearly followed with another quip, only to stop when he caught the Chamberlain's gaze. The Skeksis had stopped smiling… or had he? The corners of his beak were still upturned, but now something strange gleamed in his beady eyes, something that smothered the words in Rian's throat before he could say them.

"Oh, no offence taken, no offence!" the Skeksis said. "Chamberlain is used to hearing worse from fellow Lords of the Crystal! They like to tease so much!" He crouched to get closer to Rian, and the latter found himself taking an involuntary step backward. "Well, as was saying, Chamberlain was already old back then. And when Rian will be grandfather himself, Skeksis will have remained exactly the same. Why, in all probabilities, Chamberlain will still be Chamberlain!"

"Wait," said Rian, "you don't die? How come?"

"Why do Gelfling have long ears while Skeksis have beaks, _hmm?_" the Chamberlain answered. "Is _mystery!_ Only Thra knows the answer!"

"So…" Rian scrunched up his face. "You're tasked with watching over the Crystal because you're… _old?_"

The Chamberlain held up one bony finger. "What is wisdom? Accumulation of things learned through lifetime! So elders with many trines to their names are considered very wise, yes? And what are oldest beings on Thra, _hmm?_"

"Huh," said Rian. "The Skeksis, I guess. I get it, now. Sorta."

"Very smart! Rian takes after father, yes?"

Rian fought an urge to roll his eyes. For a so-called wise and ancient being, the Chamberlain sure didn't sound that smart himself. He couldn't even speak properly!

"What would Rian like to do when grown up?" the Chamberlain continued.

Rian was taken aback; _now_, that was the sort of question that he wouldn't have expected to hear from a Lord of the Crystal, of all people. "I dunno? Why do you wanna know?"

"Could follow in Father's footsteps and become soldier, hmm? Captain Ordon earned fame and glory protecting Stonewood clan from dreadful Arathim. Name will be sung in songs and told in tales many trines hereafter! What more could Gelfling warrior ask for, yes?"

"Huh," Rian said, perking up. "That's true." Again, he looked at his father. "I could do that. I'd do good as a soldier, right?"

Ordon frowned. "That's a possibility. We'll see in time." He inclined his head once more. "I'll have my leave, my Lord. You must be very busy. Thank you for taking the time to educate my son."

The Chamberlain waved a hand around. "Am glad to. Chamberlain lives to serve."

Ordon looked insistently at Rian. "Uh," the latter said, hesitating. "Yeah, thanks."

"Goodbye, young Rian," the Chamberlain said. "Who knows, maybe one day Gelfling will sing of _your_ bravery."

Rian found himself grinning back at the Lord. "Yeah! Maybe!"

He did not see the Chamberlain's smile fade into nothingness as he turned to leave with his father.

* * *

skekSil, Chamberlain of the Castle of the Crystal, had to suffer the indignity of running after his colleague. Of course, he thought darkly, that lunkhead skekVar would not think to wait for poor skekSil; the stupidest of all the Skeksis had all the refined manners of a mouthy Podling peasant _and_ the stench to match. The General even had the audacity to sport a little smirk as the Chamberlain finally reached him, panting.

"Why waste your time speaking with the rabble?" was all skekVar said as greetings. "Learning their names, giving their brats history lessons… what purpose does it serve?"

skekSil put a hand over his chest, still trying to catch his breath. "General is not very bright, hmm?" he replied in a mutter.

"What was that?!" skekVar barked, getting uncomfortably close. He grabbed hold of skekSil's collar, teeth bared, fetid breath floating to the Chamberlain's nostrils.

"Sound of wind, perhaps?" skekSil squeaked, ducking his head and giving the General a quivering look of fear. "Coming from outside? Chilly season is coming, yes?"

skekVar released him, growling in response. "Why do I even bother? Bah! I'll relish the day when the Emperor will finally tire of you and I'll never have to see that cowardly face of yours again!"

"Friend _wounds_ me!" skekSil said. "Am not a coward!"

"You said it yourself! You're no soldier!"

"Not a soldier, _no_, but Chamberlain _is_ warrior," skekSil countered, in half a whine.

"As if I'm going to believe that!" the General said, throwing back his head laughing, before finally heading toward the throne room.

skekSil's anxious expression dissipated the moment skekVar turned away, and he fixed a cold, calculating stare on the other Skeksis. From behind, he could still hear the Gelfling boy chatting his father's ear off. Young Rian was asking the captain how he had joined the castle guard. skekSil arranged the ruffles on his collar, feeling a slight smile tugging at the corners of his beak as he noted the enthusiasm in the childing's voice.

"Oh, I'm a warrior as well," the Chamberlain said, voice dropping to a raspy growl. "I just chose a different kind of battleground."

* * *

A/N: Me watching AoR: "Wow, the Skeksis are so sketchy, I wonder how they actually managed to fool the Gelfling into thinking they're legit—"  
Chamberlain: "This is what I do. I plant stories in ground, watch grow into truth."  
Me: "—oh."


End file.
